Aokigahara, Japan- The Suicide Forest & Its Mysteries

2nd Hottest Suicide Spot In the World

Aokigahara is a well-known suicide spot in the world with an approximate claim of 100 people successfully killing themselves in a year. Located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji, a forest that’s 8640 acres wide, it’s no wonder why it’s also known as Sea of Tree. The dense and lush forest made it difficult to actually track the actual number of corpses as it can go undetected for years. Since the 1950s, the forest has homed to a total of over 500 confirmed suicides. The suicidal rate was so high that the government just stop reporting it. Imagine those that went unreported and unsearched for many years, there’re probably thousands of bodies hidden in the forest by now.

Suicide Is Common Among Men

Japan has a long history of suicide that dates back to feudal era where the samurais perform Seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) or kamikaze pilots in World War 2. When they’re in a tight spot, they would rather die an 'honourable' death than to seek assistance from others. The government has constantly been fighting an uphill battle to change the culture that has been passed down for generations. Among the prevention attempts are placing security cameras at the entrance of the forest, increasing patrols and various signs that reads ‘Your life is a precious gift from your parents’ and ‘Thinking about your children, your family’.

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Unearthly Characteristics

The nature of this forest sets the bar for the creepiest forest in the world. As you walk along the uneven terrain, you’d be met with networks of overgrown roots, overlapping trees and twisted branches stretching out that blocked natural sunlight and wind from entering the space. The thick fog and the still cold air combining with unnatural silence gives off an eerie vibe. One would expect to at least hear the sound of birds chirping but not at this place. Oddly enough, no presence of animals are found in the forest. What does that tell you huh? Even animals know to stay the hell out of this place.

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Experienced hikers and trekkers would often find themselves getting lost or going in circles. It is reported that compasses, mobile devices and GPS systems fail to function properly here due to strong magnetic disruptions from the iron deposits in the area’s volcanic soil. To solve it, they would commonly use tapes as markings to remember the trails.

To further aggravate what I’ve mentioned, one would often find homemade noose dangling from the tree, left over poison bottles, old photographs of families, children dolls wrapped in vines, suicide notes, scattered clothing and shoes and abandoned tents with belongings. All these leftovers are usually brought by campers who’s deciding their fate.

Exploring the suicide forest, check the video out

The Hauntings

Numerous reports of ghostly sighting attracted more explorers to the location. Aokigahara forest has long been imbued with paranormal qualities. Folklore of demons and spirits of the dead haunting visitors and provoking them to attempt suicide is definitely well-known to the locals. It was believed that mourning souls are doomed to trap in the spot for eternity, joining those who has fallen. I really don’t understand the campers though, does stories like these not freak them out? I would abandon my possession and sprint out from the forest. Many documentaries, novels and movies are made based of this forest. It also said the surge of suicide in Aokigahara is also related to 1960's novel by Seichō Matsumoto and 1993's The Complete Suicide Manual by Wataru Tsurumi that encourages people to take their lives.

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On My Mind

Now, what drives people to take their own life in this peculiar yet enchanted forest baffles me. It is believed that the Buddhist Monk's (the first person who fasted to death as a form of purification) death that entice other monks to follow which eventually builds up a mysterious energy circulating Aokigahara forest that prompts people from all over to a perpetual cycle of suicidal. Supernatural ? I don't know. Mental issue ? Certainly. As you can see from news report, the suicide rate isn't going down anytime soon. Japan has to take drastic measure to ensure the stability of the citizen's mental health. The once serene and beautiful spot has now turned into a nightmare of decaying bodies. Ultimately, we can all agree it is an eerie site that we would never want to explore, at least not alone....or maybe I would :)